Karasu

It PAINS me to write this because pre-covid this would have been a 10 star review; alas, the post-Covid landscape has changed the character and the food of this very beautiful, hidden spot where we previously gathered for many special occasions or simply a fun evening out with friends. We are also huge Walter's enthusiasts and are always greeted warmly by staff and in truth, doted on.

We walked in having made a reservation via Resy just a short time before arriving. It was marginally empty. We were greeted flatly (she simply asked us if we had a reservation) by an unfamiliar hostess who was more interested in gabbing with the server and bartender. She slapped the menus down at the bar and said nothing to us. One of those situations where there's barely any eye contact and where it appeared she may have been annoyed that we were distracting her from an important conversation. I assumed she was going to show us to a table eventually after setting it up, but nope, she returned to the corner by the kitchen with the server and our bartender. All three women chatted animatedly amongst themselves for quite sometime and save the infrequent need for someone else's attention, they would return to their corner to continue the conversation throughout the evening. I assume the bartender thought we were there for cocktails and a quick snack because we were the only ones at the bar with the exception of one other person. She greeted us with some water but we had to make eye contact with her to order cocktails. My Bee-side which came with a dried tarragon branch as opposed to the shiso leaf I had when it had just opened and many times thereafter- was fine- but it was also barely chilled.

The menu is much abbreviated from the original menu which was a total and complete bummer. They had the fortitude to keep the karaage which was essentially our main course after starting with the hamachi and the tuna tataki to start at $19-22 a piece. They were delicious but consisted of less than 1 ounce of protein. Maybe. My husband had a baked sweet potato. For $14. It came unceremoniously in a wad of tin foil. Absolutely nothing to this save for the nori butter. It was also the size of a newborn kitten.

Your only other options for a main is to split a $95 steak- which I've had and is delicious if not a bit fatty but it's still no value. There's also a fish which can also be split. I'm guessing they think they're making a statement with an authentic Japanese chef and a reductive menu- but it's just nothing that will keep us from returning. I left so hungry-and mourning what once was. Someone at Walter's gave us a hug- perhaps in consolation?

As mentioned, I am supremely disappointed with the service and the food. To note: the runner who brought us our food and essentially compensated for any actual service was a total delight. 2 stars for him.

Please get it together- I loved you before!!

You know you have places that you just keep going back to, because it's comfortable, homie, and makes you feel good every time you leave? Thanks Karasu, such a hidden gem behind Walters. First off, the staff is so sweet, every person that works there including the chef is beyond accommodating and caring. The ambiance is so cute, not so small you feel like your sitting on top of each other, which i like a lot compared to some other speakeasies. The food is incredible, I have literally had everything on the menu. I used to be obsessed with their chicory salad, which isn't on the menu anymore but i can forgive them because everything else is amazing. The the Kaarage chicken is a CAN'T MISS. Crispy, juicy, perfectly fried. The Steak is actually one of the best steaks i've had in the city, so i highly suggest to get it and share it with your party.

I have been back at least 8 times....I know, i have a problem lol :) But it's delicious so go try it!

This speakeasy restaurant is hidden at the end of the hallway at Walter's so it can be difficult to find. The space is somewhat small but the ambience is quite nice and feels like a good date spot. In terms of service, everyone was nice but the food did take some time to come out.

The oysters and the katsu sandwich on the happy hour menu were great and reasonably priced. That said, I was highly disappointed with the Ikura Don dish. It was mostly rice with a drizzle of soy sauce and very few pieces of raw salmon. It felt a bit salty at times and was honestly way too overpriced for what it was. The karaage was tasty but again felt overpriced for the portion.

Overall, the food and atmosphere were great but I don't think I would return for the food. It just didn't feel worth it for the high price point. That said, I may return for the happy hour menu and drinks.

Came here for dinner on a Sunday night and enjoyed the quiet, cool atmosphere it had, very laid back. The food itself was very good and definitely worth checking out.

The wagu beef special looked like puppy chow, but in general the food, staff, and ambience are exquisite. Would definitely go back again.

Secret-y speakeasy in the back of a bustling Americana restaurant? Interesting!

The room is pretty dark (and loud) but I found it really elegant- the decor was really nice (think Japanese izakaya but art deco-y.) Vibes gave me the sense it would be a good place for an intimate dinner or nice date.

We were there for a casual double date- our party of 4 was promptly seated (we had made a reservation via Resy ahead of time, which was definitely a good idea.)

The drinks: STRONG AND DELICIOUS COCKTAILS- 5 stars for the creativeness, deliciousness and awesomeness of their drinks! Check out the White Lotus, Olive Branch, Umeshu Tonic.

The food: Pretty good- we had a vegetarian guest so we got a lot of vegetable heavy dishes (grilled shishito peppers, a nice chicories focused salad, Maitake udon) to share. All were very good! For omnivores, recommend the karaage (fried chicken)!

The service: Friendly! Our server was very knowledgeable about each dish (we had a few questions as our friends were vegetarian and we wanted to makes sure about our orders) and took the time to explain. If you don't know, ask- they will gladly inform you.

They seem to have some seasonal specials (they had a cold noodle dish when we went) so interested to see what they have in the other seasons.

Meh, nothing too special. Would I come back? Probably not, but the ambience is nice and the whole speakeasy thing is cool....maybe for drinks.

My friend and I split the udon and the steak; the udon was vegetarian and kinda reminded me of pizza without tasting like pizza. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The steak was also just ok, which was disappointing. I've had $100 steak before, and this one just wasn't worth the price tag. I don't mind blowing money on food, but I didn't love anything I ate that night.

I will say though, the service was good and they were really polite when my friend and I were running late. We appreciated that they called us asking how late we'd be rather than cancelling + charging the cancellation fee.

3.5. Hmm it was fine. Tbh I was slightly disappointed by the environment - it was smaller than expected but also didn't feel particularly intimate. Dark, but not really canoodling vibes. Different than what I expected from seeing pics. Another room behind a restaurant so sort of a speakeasy but not as cool as Banzabar (location wise in the restaurant). Mediocre drinks. Food was good/fine. I liked the karrage. Overall fine but I wouldn't have a strong inclination to come back.

We came here for my daughter's birthday. Ambiance was very nice. Food was great, we have the wagyu tartar, it was really good but needed a little more spice. Service was good, we could have used more attention from the waiter, and a bit more explanation on each dish as it came out.

Who doesn't love a restaurant within another restaurant? Friend recommended this gem and it was an amazing experience.

All the drinks were amazing and the small bites were delicious. I think personally if I were to come back I'd focus on the drinks and order a few sides.

hamachi - favorite small bite. extremely fresh fish
yaki imo - who doesn't like butter with sweet potato
tuna tataki - pretty normal tuna, nothing special.
chicories - delightful and crunchy lotus root.
sayoko's karaage - not the best but was satisfying. a bit too much batter and overcooked.
shishitos - yum. yuzu with some peppers
prime ribeye for two - the koji and tosazu sauce was amazing with the prime rib. prime rib done extremely well

fun speakeasy bar in the back of Walter's. we got the Always Sunny and the Sabrosa - both drinks were strong and the bartender was extremely nice. the ambiance made it a great spot for an intimate date. there was great decor as well!